Ivan Tibos.

As from the very beginning I am truly in love (oink?) with Germany’s Desaster. They debuted in 1996 with A Touch Of Medieval Darkness.

Despite their well-appreciated live reputation and a huge selling number, I for myself have never been such a big ‘fan’ of Germany’s Burden Of Grief. Don’t get me wrong, for I do not dislike any of the former releases they did (at least the ones I do know). But even the productional duties provided by top-meisters like Dan Swanö couldn’t guarantee fulfilment or satisfaction.

American quartet Ambient Death nowadays consists of Lucas Klepacki (vocals and guitars, lyrics and music, and artwork), bass player Aady Pandit (who took care of the production as well), John Orsi (guitars) and Jaimen Shinn (drums). Dismembering The Image Of God is their third studio effort and it lasts for about thirty seven minutes.

This year, Immortal Frost will release two splits with Sarkrista involved. In a couple of months (probably towards the end of 2014) there will be one with Forbidden Eye and Sacrificium Carmen, but first we have the mini-album with Unhuman Disease, one of the many projects by Nocturnus Dominus. That’s the same guy, by the way, who’s involved with Forbidden Eye (the band that will appear on the upcoming split I just mentioned).

This album is in the vein of the latest one, meaning no more (Black) metal anymore, yet another Ambient-laden recording; what was going on? Is our dear Count sentenced to prison once again, or didn’t he want to caress his guitar strings anymore? I do not know, I have no idea, but just like last year’s Sôl Austan, Mâni Vestan, The Ways Of Yore is rather comparable to albums like Daudi Baldrs or Hlidskjàlf- though there are differences for sure as well.

This release is a compilation of material written and composed by Ross ‘Korihor’ Major, who’s active in Murk Rider as well, and formerly in Folivore and the defunct Black-duo Lurid. MMXI - MMXII consists of five hymns, lasting in between seven and thirteen minutes. Most tracks are taken from hard-to-get splits (with the likes of Nattferd or Korium, a.o.

Distant Voices are a very young label from France, but for sure it is a special one. Premièrement it has to do with the musical direction, i.e. a mostly underground-oriented kind of grim, depressive, ambient, melancholic and / or atmospheric Black Metal. Je l’adore! But there are more labels that do so. What does distinct this label from any other is the time-intensive care the crew takes for each single release.

Odmetnik are a pretty young label from Beograd, Serbia, focused on Doom Metal especially, yet not of the poppy kind. The label, by the way, is run by Miloš Vojinović, aka Škoms, the guy behind the Serbian Doom-band Propoved. The fifth release on their roster is the debut-EP of Swedish act Acolytes Of Moros, which was formed in 2010 as side-project for Anguish and Inception, if I’m not mistaken.

Woods Of Desolation are the brainchild of D., who hails from New South Wales, Australia, and who started this outfit in 2005. He was active in Grey Waters too, at that moment, but he was able to have some first recordings done with guest vocalists. About four years ago, the project signed to the Northern Silence-roster, and a first result of this collaboration was called Torn Beyond Reason, a majestic epic that I do still consider one of the highlights of 2011.

Unaussprechlichen Kulten are probably one of the most legendary bands ever from Chilean soil. Their last album, People Of The Monolith, was nothing else but a masterpiece, and I was quite happy to notice that now, finally, after six years of impatience, the band does return with their third full length, Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath. Iron Bonehead will release the stuff on vinyl.